Terms of Service
These terms cover your use of Elusive. We have kept them short and readable on purpose. By creating an inbox or using the service, you agree to what is written here.
01 What Elusive is
Elusive is a private email service. You get a mailbox, the ability to create extra addresses and disposable aliases, and end-to-end encryption by default, where only you hold the key. The service is provided as is, and it is free to use today.
02 Your account
You are responsible for your username and password, and for keeping them safe. You must be old enough to form a binding agreement where you live. One person or organization per account is the intended use.
If you enable two-factor authentication, keep your backup method safe. We cannot verify your identity by any means other than the credentials on the account.
03 Addresses and personas
You can hold a limited number of permanent master addresses and an unlimited number of disposable aliases. Disposable aliases expire on a timer you choose, from one minute up to a day, or the moment their mail is first opened.
When a disposable expires or burns, it is deleted along with every message it holds. This is the point of the feature. We do not keep a hidden copy, and deleted mail cannot be restored.
Personas are simply named groups you use to organize your addresses. They do not change how mail is delivered or encrypted.
04 Acceptable use
Use Elusive for lawful purposes. Do not use it to send spam, to harass or defraud people, to distribute malware, or to break the law in your jurisdiction or ours. Do not attempt to break, overload, or probe the service in ways that harm other users.
Privacy is not a shield for abuse. If an address is used to attack others, we may suspend it, even though we cannot read the contents of end-to-end mail.
05 Encryption and your keys
In server-managed mode, we hold the key that encrypts your mail at rest and can read your messages to provide the service. In end-to-end mode, your key is generated in your browser and we store only your public key plus passphrase-locked copies of the private one.
In keyfile mode, we store nothing that can unlock your mail. If you lose your key file and its passphrase, your mail is gone for good. We cannot recover it, reset it, or make an exception. That is the design, not an oversight. Choose your mode with this in mind.
06 Availability
We work to keep Elusive running, but we do not promise uninterrupted service. We may change, pause, or retire features. Mail sent to addresses outside Elusive leaves over standard email transport, and we cannot control what the receiving server does with it.
07 No warranty
Elusive is provided on an as-is and as-available basis, without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied. We do not warrant that the service will be error-free, secure against every threat, or fit for a particular purpose. Our security model, including its known limits, is described openly on our site.
08 Liability
To the extent the law allows, Elusive is not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, or for lost data, lost mail, or lost profits arising from your use of the service. Because the service is free, our total liability to you is limited accordingly. Some places do not allow these limits, in which case they apply only as far as the law permits.
09 Ending your account
You can stop using Elusive at any time. We may suspend or close an account that breaks these terms or that puts the service or its users at risk. If we close your account for a reason other than abuse, we will try to give you reasonable notice.
10 Changes to these terms
If we change these terms in a way that matters, we will update this page and the date at the top. If you keep using Elusive after a change, that counts as accepting it. Questions about these terms belong on our security and disclosure page, alongside everything else we are honest about.